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Month: February 2014

To begin with, let me state how much I hate photographing people watching an event on television. I loathe seeing this particular assignment. I think it’s because it reminds me that I am not covering the actual event being televised; instead, I am simply covering a removed version of the event.

That being said, the televised men’s hockey gold medal final in Canada is different.

Oh – and what’s a post without the Mayor…

Fans celebrate at Maple Leaf Square in Toronto after the third goal by Chris Kunitz in the men’s hockey gold medal Olympic final between Canada and Sweden in Sochi, Russia Sunday morning, February 23, 2014. Canada won the gold medal by defeating Sweden 3-0.

Fans celebrate at a bar in Toronto after the second Canadian goal by Sidney Crosby in the men’s hockey gold medal Olympic final against Sweden in Sochi, Russia Sunday morning, February 23, 2014. Canada won the gold medal by defeating Sweden 3-0.

Toronto Mayor Ford bites a fake gold medal while celebrating at Maple Leaf Square in Toronto after the Canadian men’s hockey team won the gold medal Olympic final 3-0 against Sweden in Sochi, Russia Sunday morning, February 23, 2014.

Well, these pictures have gone everywhere. I’ve had talk shows, US Late Night and Morning shows, etc. asking for use of the pictures. On Twitter, “groin” and “hydrant” were trending. So bizarre.

I guess that all of those years of hard work and money spent on my education were all in preparation for the moment that Rob Ford ran groin-first into a fire hydrant.

First of three – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford walks into a fire hydrant while celebrating at Maple Leaf Square in Toronto after the Canadian men’s hockey team won the gold medal Olympic final 3-0 against Sweden in Sochi, Russia Sunday morning, February 23, 2014.

Two of three – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford holds his groin after walking into a fire hydrant while celebrating the Canadian men’s hockey team’s Olympic gold medal-win over Sweden in Sochi, Russia Sunday morning, February 23, 2014.

Three of three – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford holds his groin after walking into a fire hydrant while celebrating the Canadian men’s hockey team’s Olympic gold medal-win over Sweden in Sochi, Russia Sunday morning, February 23, 2014.

Had the pleasure of meeting 107-year-old Bassia Guterman earlier this week. Ms. Guterman’s parents were Russian, though she was born in northern China where her father was a wealthy hotel impresario. Guterman speaks of a fantastical life in China, with cooks and houseboys and nannies and opulence and leisure and, as Ms. Guterman puts it, “not enough for a woman to do” – so, as Communism took the country over, she and her family moved to Canada.

A post-Valentine’s Day blog post – this was an LGBT demonstration to protest Mayor Rob Ford’s attempts to remove the gay pride flag flying on a courtesy flagpole at City Hall and replace it with a Canadian flag. In a protest of his own, Ford taped a Canadian flag to the window of his office (seen in the top left-hand corner of the photo).

Partners Katie Grace, left, and Brandy Dawley join other LGBT activists hold a “Kiss-In” in front of Mayor Rob Ford’s office in Toronto to protest the mayor’s attempt to lower the gay pride flag at City Hall.

Not sure why, but I seemed to have gravitated toward trees while looking for feature pictures the past few days.

A man is silhouetted while walking on a cold and grey afternoon near Cherry Beach in Toronto Sunday, February 9, 2014.

Students make their way across campus on a snowy and blustery day in Toronto Wednesday, February 5, 2014. Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning on Wednesday with 10-20 cm expected fall while the City of Toronto also issued an extreme cold weather warning.

In honour of Mayor Rob Ford’s latest antics and the launch of Robyn Doolittle’s book “Crazy Town”, I reckoned I’d put a gallery together from my two days covering the embattled mayor during the budget vote at City Hall last week.

Mayor Rob Ford jokingly mimics a boxer’s defensive pose during a city council vote on the 2014 capital and operating budgets at City Hall in Toronto Thursday, January 30, 2014.

Mayor Rob Ford waits on an elevator while refusing to answer reporters’ questions before a city council vote on the 2014 capital and operating budgets at City Hall in Toronto Thursday, January 30, 2014.

Mayor Rob Ford gestures while presenting motions to save money during a city council vote on the 2014 capital and operating budgets at City Hall in Toronto Thursday, January 30, 2014.

Mayor Rob Ford laughs with a member of his staff while he autographs 8×10 pictures of himself as council was discussing the 2014 capital and operating budgets at City Hall in Toronto Wednesday, January 29, 2014.